No Time To Stamp?

Keyword ssnotime31 - There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your project at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all!  You can play as many times as you like!!!  The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!!  Please link back here.

The challenge this week is to use black accents on your card.  That’s it — anything black at all as an accent.  I LOVE to use black accents, and pretty much everything I’ve done for the past week has black accents — I use them often.  I love the way black will just POP your colors!!!  Can’t wait to see what you all do!!!  Just have fun with it!!!

As always, try to stick with our overall theme of *stamping simply*.   Here are some samples:

Check out Julie Koerber’s sample. 

Check out Dee Jackson’s sample.

Check out Tammy Hershberger’s sample. 

And we warmly welcome three new and totally AWESOME sample makers this week:

Check out Jennifer Buck’s sample.

Check out Janine Orchard’s sample.

Check out Becky Oehler’s Sample.

Now, is that an AWESOME CREW, or what!!! Thank you girls!!!  Much appreciated!!!

And my sample is below.

Remember when you upload to use the keyword above, followed by a comma.  Please come back here to post (as a comment) that you’ve played, and provide a link so we can check out your card right away. You can find all cards uploaded for this challenge by clicking Gallery Submissions Here.

Some wanting to play said they have never uploaded before.  If that’s you and you need help uploading,  just go to my Challenge No. 1 here.

I made this card using one of Flourishes latest releases, Siberian Iris.  It is 5.5″ square.  I think my black accents are quite obvious here — and, yes, still playing with my new Martha Stewart punch and making black butterflies — totally addicted to them!!!  Maybe this phase will wear off soon — LOL!!!

The bottom is SU DP and the top is Flourishes Damask background stamp, which is one of my all time favorites!  I stamped it in Versa Mark and then brushed it with a pearl colored pigment powder — you could use Pearl Ex or Ranger or any brand — then you wipe off the excess with a Swiffer cloth.   I then sprayed that portion with Krylon Workable Fixatif to set the powder and prevent it from rubbing off — it also gives it a nice sheen.

The main image Iris is colored with Copics and, sorry, but I don’t have the colors.  I colored this the day my set came in and I set it aside and didn’t use it right away, and I neglected to write down the colors — sorry.  This Iris image is quite large, so I cut and embossed  it using a rectangle Nestability by Spellbinders, and then framed it narrowly in black.  Since the card base is black, I will line the inside of the card with the yellow before I write in it.

The Siberian Iris set, Damask background, black velvet ribbon, black dotted sheer ribbon and the Nestabilites were all from Flourishes.  Oh, the Inkssentials Opaque White Pen was also from Flourishes (used it on the flower center — a great white pen).

• Stamps:  Siberian Iris and  Damask from Flourishes
• Paper:  Black, White, Office Max Yellow, Amethyst Prints DP from SU
• Ink:  Adirondack Pitch Black.  Copics to Color.  Inkssentials  White Opaque Pen by Ranger.
• Accessories:  Black Velvet and Sheer Dotted Ribbon, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, SU 1 1/4 and 1 3/8″ punches, Rectangle Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Krylon Workable Fixatif, Perfect Pearls, Mounting Tape, Glue Dots, Pot Dots.

An answer to a question about Nestabilities — a couple readers have asked in comments this week what Nestabilities are.  Nestabilies are dies made by Spellbinders that you run through a die cutting system (such as a Cuttlebug, Wizard, etc.)  to cut your paper.  You can emboss with the dies as well, and they cut more than standard cardstock.  They come in sets of graduated sizes so you can make frames and mats as well.  One way to look at it, is that they take the place of punches — but are much smaller, lighter and easier to store — and they give you many more options than a punch.   Check out the Spellbinders site to see and learn more about all the different dies that are available.

Thanks again so much for stopping in!!! Hope you can find time to play — there is no time limit — you can play any challenge any time you like!!!  Hope you all have a great weekend!!!  Oh, and I am still on my 10 Minute Card kick, so that’s what you can expect out of my next few uploads!!! 

EDITING TO ADD — NEWS FLASH!!!  I don’t know where I have been, but I just found out that Flourishes has added some of the newly released Basic Grey 6 x 6 paper pads to their in store inventory — they are wonderful papers — Boxer, Sultry and Sugared.  You can check them out here!!!  (LOVE those 6 x 6 pads!)

Today did not go as planned, so I have nothing new to post; however, since I’m on this 10 minute card kick, thought I’d share a 10 Minute Oldie.  I can honestly say that I LOVE this card - it is SO super simple — I loved it the day I made it back in December, 2006 and I still love it as much today.  And, quite honestly, I thought I had shared this card here already, but in checking I can’t find it, so I sure hope I’m not doing a repeat!!!  Here it is:

I made this for a small 6 or 8 person local swap in December 2006, and that was back when SU still had the black organdy — LOL!!!  SOOOO glad I have since found the sheer black ribbon made by May Arts (available at Flourishes) – it is so much softer than this organdy was.  Like I’ve said before, I could put my sheer black ribbon on EVERY card I make — I truly do have to try to control myself — LOL!!

Anyway, you can read more about this card on my original SCS upload.

Thanks so much for stopping in again!  I am trying to come up with more 10 minute samples — it just didn’t work out today — tomorrow’s another day!!!  Also, remember our Friday Stamp Simply Challenge — it’s another super easy one!!!

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I’m still trying to work in my stamproom (the never-ending project!)  I’ll be listing things here periodically in small lots as I go through the room.  I just listed a small lot of stamps in my For Sale tab up on top –  several are older SAB sets.  This is a good lot for someone who doesn’t have a lot of stamps, is just getting started, or for kids to play with.  Just email me if you’re interested!!!

 Thanks much!!!  Hope to get another 10 minute card or two up tonight.

For the next couple days I’ll be working on super quick projects.  I need to come up with a few things that people can complete in about 10 minutes at a Make-N-Take.  This is my first attempt — not sure this will be one of the cards I do use — we’ll just have to wait and see!  Would this card make you want to stop and do it as a Make-N-Take at a show?    Please, be honest — it’ll help me to plan!  Thanks!!!

• Stamps:  Flourished Elements, Lace Heart, Many Sentiments all by Flourishes
• Paper:  Soft Sky, Black, White
• Ink:  Versa Fine Onyx Black
• Accessories:  Black Sheer Ribbon from Flourishes, Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Heart Nestability by Spellbinders, Large Oval Punch, Brad, 1/8″ punch
• Size:  5 1/2 x 4 1/4

I do like this design — just thinking it might be too plain — I guess because there are so few layers — but it needs to be a 10 minute card — decisions, decisions!!!  I used a hand held 1/8″ punch to make holes to run the ribbon through.  The Heart is the Lace Heart by Flourishes, but you’ll notice it is smaller than normal.  I stamped the Lace Heart onto the Soft Sky paper and then I ran it through the Cuttlebug with a Heart Nestie that was smaller than the stamped heart — nothing to line up and much easier and quicker for a busy situation — plus, it’s fun to be able to use that gorgeous Lace Heart in various sizes!!!  The heart is mounted on SU Dimensionals and the sentiment oval is on a fatter Pop Dot.  I went over only the thicker lines in the corner flourish with the glue pen and covered with Dazzling Diamonds — love the sparkle, which is not showing at all in the photo!!!

Oh, and yes, everything will be pre-cut for the Make-N-Take, whatever I decide on, and the heart will be run through the CB with the Nestie, so it’s just quick stamping and assembly.

That’s it for tonight!!!  Thanks much for stopping in and, please, give me an honest answer of what you’d think of this for a Make-N-Take.

This is a card I did today using the tiny topiary in the Siberian Iris set by Flourishes.  I love this smaller topiary image just as much as I love the large Siberian Iris image in this set.  The sentiment is also from the same set.  This was done for the Featured Stamper Challenge at SCS today as well, casing a card from the gallery of Kharmagirl – WOW — what a gallery to choose from - fun!!!  This is her card that I cased, and here’s my version, which was simplified:

I followed the same basic layout and I used a dry embossing folder, but that’s about it.  I omitted the piercing and stitches and added ribbon.  Where she had the sentiment placed, I placed the main image.  My topiary is colored with Copics and the ovals are cut and embossed using my new Petite Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders.  The sentiment is also on a die cut label from a new set of Shapeabilites by Spellbinders, both of which I got from Flourishes, along with the Siberian Iris stamp set, the Two Scoops pad of DP by Basic Grey and the black sheer ribbon.  The Swiss Dots folder was used in the Cuttlebug to emboss the background.  And I’m feeling really addicted lately to these darling black butterflies — I just couldn’t resist using them again!!!  LOL!!!  This card is 5.5 x 4.25″.

• Stamps:  Siberian Iris by Flourishes
• Paper:  Really Rust, Apricot, Wild Wasabi, Black, White, Two Scoops 6 x 6 pad by Basic Grey from Flourishes
• Ink:  Versa Fina Onyx Black
• Accessories:  Sheer Ribbon, Brad, Butterfly Punch by Martha Stewart, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots Folder, Spellbinders Petitie Oval Nestabilities, Spellbinders Label Trio Shapabalities, Mounting Tape, Glue Dots.

That’s it for tonight!!! Thanks so much for stopping in!!!  See you soon!!!  Oh, I have several new sets of the Shapeabilities and the Nestabilities that I’ll be playing with this week — so if you are interested — stop in again!!!

Keyword ssnotime30 - There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your project at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all!  You can play as many times as you like!!!  The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!!  Please link back here. 

The challenge this week is to use glitter on your project.  That’s it!  How simple and fun!!! I love the added dazzle glitter gives a project.  Often if I do something and it just looks a tad too drab for my taste, I take out the glitter and the problem is solved!!!  Instant pizzazz!!!  Many a project I have considered dismal failures, just pop to life with the addition of glitter!!!  Love that!!!  You  may use any form of glitter you desire – as long as it sparkles — sprinkle it on, emboss it on, write it on.  Also, you may use paper that is pre-glittered for you, or glittered chipboard, etc.  You get the idea — glitter from ANY source is fine!!!  Just have fun!!!

As always, try to stick with our overall theme of *stamping simply*.   Here are some samples:

Check out Julie Koerber’s sample. 

No sample from Dee Jackson today — she’s a bit under the weather — get better soon, Dee — we miss you!!!

Check out Tammy Hershberger’s sample. 

And my super simple samples are below.

Remember when you upload to use the keyword above, followed by a comma.  Please come back here to post (as a comment) that you’ve played, and provide a link so we can check out your card right away. You can find all cards uploaded for this challenge by clicking Gallery Submissions Here.

Some wanting to play said they have never uploaded before.  If that’s you and you need help uploading,  just go to my Challenge No. 1 here.

This card fits a standard business sized envelope. I used Flourishes new Wedding Party and Wedding Essentials, Two Scoops DP by Basic Grey and White Satin Ribbon, all available at Flourishes.  Here’s a closeup of her glittery dress:

Her hair and dress bodice were colored with SU markers.  The skirt is paper pieced.  I just stamped the skirt onto another piece of white cardstock, stamped the flourish stamp near the hemline, and then went over all the flourish lines with my Quickie Glue Pen and covererd it with  Dazzling Diamonds!!!  When I attached the skirt, I adhered it tightly with double sided tape up at her waistline, then I used SU dimensionals down near the hem to give it some flare.  I went over the entire bodice and veil with the Quickie Glue Pen and sprinked with Dazzling Diamonds.  I also added dots of glue/diamonds to her bouquet and hair flowers.  I used sticky back diamond gems for her earrings and necklace and drew in the chain with a Silver Spica Glitter Pen.  LOVE playing with the Wedding Party girls — they are so much fun!!!!

My favorite use of glitter is with the Quickie Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds (SU), as above described.  Our closest Michaels sometimes has the pen, but it seems everytime I am there it is sold out!!! I got my last batch of them from Ellen Hutson.  Her site is down for maintenance now, but I’ll try to link it up here for you tomorrow.  Here’s a closeup of my Siberian Iris I uploaded two days ago, using the exact same technique.  I love this look on floral images!!!

My 2nd favorite use of glitter would have to be to use Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, sold by SU.  It is so easy — just emboss like any other powder — and you have such instant razzle and dazzle, and it doesn’t flake off once it is embossed on.  Here is a closeup of my Poppin’ Pearls Wedding Card from yesterday, showing this technique:

I cut a 3″ square of white cardstock, smooched Versa Mark over the entire surface and then embossed it with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder by SU.  You have to be careful when embossing with this powder because it has a tendency to burn quickly, and then it doesn’t sparkle.  I just move my gun slowly over the surface, watching as it starts to *dazzle*, and then you know it’s done.  If you heat too much, the dazzle goes.  You’ll get the hang of it once you try a time or two.  I see in this enlarged photo that I missed a corner where I probably was holding the paper — oh well - it doesn’t even show up IRL as this is blown up so much!!!

My 3rd favorite way to apply glitter is by using a sparkly glitter pen.  Sorry, but  I dont have a sample to show — maybe we’ll see one from one of you!!!

Thanks so much for stopping in!!! Hope you get time to play!!!  Have a great weekend ahead!!!

As summer approaches our thoughts often go towards weddings, and Flourishes has come out with 2 wedding sets this month — Wedding Party and Wedding Essentials.  If you liked to play paper dolls as a child, you will love Wedding Party with the bride and her party all ready to be dressed up!!!  And if you are planning a wedding, then the sentiments in Wedding Essentials will be a necessity.  My first card combines the two sets.

Well, look at them, all dressed up - how fun!!!  This is one stamp with all 3 bride’s maids on it.  I colored them with Copics, added Dazzling Diamonds and diamond necklaces.  And there are even glittery swirls adorning the bottom of their dresses.  Truly, dressing them is just like playing paper dolls!!!  The background is done with the flourishy stamp in Wedding Essentials.  It is stamped in Versa Mark onto Blush Blossom paper and then dusted with a pearly colored Pearl Ex — just  love that effect!!!  That technique is called Poppin’ Pearls and you can read the tutuorial for it, written by Beate, at SCS.  The sentiment is also from Wedding Essentials.  This card is 5.5″ square. 

And here’s a wedding card I made, using the same background technique on Blush Blossom paper once again.  My rings, from Wedding Essentials, are silver embossed on white paper, narrowly framed in Blush and mounted onto a 3″ square that was first covered with Versa Mark and then embossed with Irridescent Ice Embossing Powder — how pretty and sparkly.  This panel was then narrowly framed in another Blush layer before adhering to the card with mounting tape.  This is such a simple to make, yet elegant, wedding card — just love it!!!  Certainly one I will repeat again and again.  And just to clarify - this IS Blush Blossom paper — I was having a very bad photo session tonight and it appears way too pinkish in color — sorry.  This card is 5.5″ square.

This card uses another sentiment from Wedding Essentials  — Save the Date!!! A fairly simple card to reproduce in quantity.  Again, the Poppin’ Pearls technique, 1/2 pearls from SU’s Pretties Kit, and this is the Ivory Wide Satin Ribbon by May Arts from Flourishes — great ribbon!!!  The ivory looks so soft and pretty.  The sentiment is silver embossed.  The base paper is Brushed Metallic Silver, also available at Flourishes.

Again, I apologize for color issues — all these card samples are Blush Blossom, which is reflected accurately in the first card with the bridesmaids on it — sorry!

Both Wedding Party and Wedding Essentials are available through Flourishes, as is the metallic paper and satin ribbon.

Thanks much for checking in — I truly do appreciate it!!! Tomorrow we have another super easy Stamp Simply Challenge lined up for you — and I mean SUPER simple — LOL!!!  Come back and check it out!!!  Hope you all have a great day!!!  The snow is melting here today after many fresh inches yesterday, so that makes it a good day!!!

 Editing on 4/11 to Add:  I must clarify myself here — I use the term *pearl-ex* generically, when truly, it isn’t.  Pearl-Ex is a brand of  pigment powder.  SU used to sell it and I’m sure it can be found in various places. However, what I actually used on these cards is a pigment powder made by Ranger, called Perfect Pearls.  It comes in a variety of colors, and the color I used is called Perfect Pearl — confusing — the color is Perfect Pearl, and the product is called Perfect Pearls, with an S on the end.  I LOVE the soft shimmer and sheen it gives — that is my FAVORITE color, especially for wedding projects.  Here is the link to the Perfect Pearls page on the Ranger website.  Hopes that helps — didn’t mean to lead anyone astray –

Hi everyone — here is our Big News — we are announcing our New Guest Designer at Flourishes!!!  Here she is –

SHARON HARNIST, a/k/a StamperSharon at SCS!!!  YIPPEE!!!

Welcome, Sharon!!! We are so happy to have you with us at Flourishes and just can’t WAIT to see what you do with the Flourishes images!!!  Here’s a link to Sharon’s Blog, so you can check out her work as well!!!

Flourishes has 3 new releases today as well.  They are the set I’ve used today, Siberian Iris, which is a Mother’s Day set that can certainly be used year round for many, many purposes.  Then there is Wedding Party, which has just the sweetest bride, her bridesmaids and a bride and groom, and Wedding Essentials, which is a sentiment set not only for a wedding card but for all the events preceding the wedding - how cool!  Today I am showing you a Mother’s Day Project I made using the new set called Siberian Iris.

This is a standard sized card made with the gorgeous Iris in the set and 3 small gift items — a bar of soap in the box, bath salts in the bag and a bottle of body wash.  How fun to change standard store packaging into a coordinated gift set!!!  The Siberian Iris stamp set and the gorgeous Black Sheer Ribbon can both be purchased at Flourishes.  The DP used is retired SU.

My iris image was stamped with Adirondack Pitch Black and colored with Copics.  I was trying to get the color of a photo of a real iris, and I don’t think I hit the mark there (LOL!), but I think for my card these colors are just fine!!!  I further highlighted my iris with Dazzling Diamonds.  There are 2 different Happy Mother’s Day sentiments in this set, and this is the smaller of the two.  I was so happy when it just fit in the SU 1 1/4″ punch — that was good!  Can you see the subtle background stamping on the Amethyst card base?  That was done with one of the several small flourishy stamps in the set, and the butterflies are punched with a new punch by Martha Stewart that I just picked up at Michaels.  And I had to use my favorite black sheer ribbon by May Arts from Flourishes!  Just love it — I would be perfectly happy putting this soft, sheer black ribbon on every project I make — LOL!!!

This bag contains bath salts and I love the long and lean look of this bag.  This is merely a 2,5,7,10 box, with slight modification.  You can find the instructions written by Jenn Balcer in this tutorial in the Resources section of SCS.  She used an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.  To get my taller box, I used a 12 x 12 sheet of DP and cut 1″ off the end, so I am using a sheet 11″ wide by 12″ tall.  Continue with all the same set of scores listed in the tutorial, which are 2, 5, 7, and 10.  Then when it’s time to turn the paper for the 2nd set of scores, score on 2 and 9 1/2.  That’s the only difference — continue with the instructions in the tutorial.  Then, can you see my black border on the flap?  To make that I merely cut a piece to line the flap, only cut it 1/8″ longer than the flap, rounded corners on both the flap and the liner piece and adhered them together.  I then punched holes and set eyelets in the flap part only, and ran my ribbon through it.  My bag is held closed by the sentiment circle which has a sticky back Velcro dot adhered behind it.  A very quick little box/bag!!!

These two simple items complete the set.  The left is merely a boxed bar of soap wrapped in DP and the sheer black ribbon.  The jar of body wash has a band run completely around it, decorated with another Happy Mother’s Day sentiment.  And I loved making the tags for these.  I can see myself using this fun little topiary stamp time and time again for a variety of projects!  I made these little tags simply with strips of paper and rounded the top corners.  The topiaries were colored with my Copics to coordinate with the Iris.  And I love that sweet little sentiment on the side which says *I Love You, Mom* — how sweet!!!  The tags have eyelets on top to run the silver stretch cording through.  I’d like to add that the topiary tag on the bar of soap reflects the true color of these tags — I was having lighting issues here and the tag on the bottle got washed out — sorry!

• Stamps:  Siberian Iris by Flourishes
• Paper:  Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, Black, White, retired SU Designer Paper
• Ink:  Adirondack Pitch Black, Almost Amethyst, Copics to color
• Accessories:  Black Sheer Ribbon from Flourishes, SU  1 1/4, 1 3/8, and Corner Rounder Punches, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Zots, Pop Dots, Vecro Dot, Cropadile, Eyelets, SU Silver Stretch Cording, Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds

The Copic colors used are:

• Iris:  B21, BV000, BV02, V17, Y15 (some of these used to color topiary pot as well)
• Greenery:  YG03, YG17, YG63
• Shadowing:  C1,0

That wraps up today’s project!!!  I’m so glad you stopped by to look!!!  Please check out all the other projects by other members of  Flourishes Design Team.  Links to them all can be found on my sidebar.  Please note we were having SCS Blog issues last night and several posts may not be up as planned, but they will be later today as everyone gets home from work and is able to post.

Also, there is chatter in the Flourishes Forum at SCS welcoming Sharon Harnist as our new Guest Designer.  Feel free to stop in there and say Hi as well as visiting Sharon’s Blog!!!

Tomorrow I’ll be back with some samples from Wedding Party and Wedding Essentials — so if you either need to prep for a wedding or need wedding cards, check back in!!!  These images/sentiments will also be GREAT for use in scrapbooking a wedding as well!!! 

Thanks much!!!  See you later!!!

I’ve been working on a project to upload tonight with a new Flourishes release, so it’ll be up in the morning, but I have MORE GREAT NEWS!!

MORE FREE PRIZES!!!!  Tomorrow SCS is celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of the Weekly Inkling and you know what that means — free prizes — tons of free prizes.  And Flourishes is one of the sponsoring companies who donated prizes, among many others as well.   You can read the post by Daven the Man  here!!!

Good luck everyone — watch your emails!!!

And tomorrow we have 3 new releases from Flourishes, the reveal of a New Guest Designer and a continuation of the week long contest which you can read about here.

What a great day tomorrow (Wednesday) will be!!!  See you then!!!